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Alabama: Tagovailoa delivering Heisman season full of memorable moments
By Marq Burnett
Published:
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — To fully understand the mania that is Tua Tagovailoa, look no further than Alabama center Ross Pierschbacher.
Following Alabama’s 52-21 beatdown of Auburn on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium, Pierschbacher, an offensive lineman from Iowa, stepped into postgame interviews with a lei draped around his neck.
“His (Tagovailoa’s) mom was downstairs. I gave her a hug and she actually said I was worthy of this,” Pierschbacher said. “She gave this to me and said, ‘Thank you for all you do.’ I’m very honored.”
Offensive lineman from Iowa wearing leis. Big Al, Alabama’s mascot, wearing a pineapple suit. Fans donning second-and-26 themed jerseys and other apparel.
Tagovailoa has taken Alabama football, an already otherworldly dynasty, to another level. With Tagovailoa at quarterback, Alabama scored 50 or more points in eight of its 12 games this season. Alabama set the single-season school record for points in a season with 588, breaking the previous record of 582 by the 2016 team, which needed 15 games to score that much.
Tagovailoa understands that moments come and go so the sophomore sensation is serving up an entire Heisman Trophy-worthy season.
Through 12 games, Tagovailoa has thrown for 3,189 yards and a single-season school record 36 touchdowns against just two interceptions.
Tagovailoa has been the Heisman favorite all season, and nothing this weekend should change that. If anything, the Heisman Trophy Trust should begin engraving his name and make plans to ship it to Tuscaloosa.
But if you’re looking for a “moment,” Tagovailoa has provided those as well. There was the 44-yard touchdown run against LSU. Then there was the second half against Auburn in the Iron Bowl.
Tagovailoa completed 11 of 12 passes for 208 yards and four touchdowns in the final 30 minutes of play. That’s surgical precision. Alabama coach Nick Saban said Tagovailoa was “outstanding” in that span.
The sophomore finished with 324 passing yards and completed 78 percent (25-of-32). Tagovailoa’s six total touchdowns (five passing, one rushing) is a new school record.
“He’s always been a impressive dude,” Alabama linebacker Anfernee Jennings said. “Just him being him. An impressive football player.”
Jennings is right, but that speaks to a bigger point: Tagovailoa has been so special and so precise that everyone simply expects greatness from him each time. And he has delivered the goods.
He broke the school’s single-season touchdown responsibility record with 41 (36 passing, five rushing). Nearly every quarterback record will fall as Tagovailoa continues his onslaught on college football.
Alabama (12-0) faces Georgia next Saturday in the SEC Championship Game, the same defense Tagovailoa had his way with in the second half of the national championship game last season.
If, or should we say when, Tagovailoa has a good game against the Bulldogs, there’ll be nothing left to say. He has been the best quarterback, and arguably the best player, in all of college football this season, and for that, the Heisman should be his.
Veteran Alabama beat reporter Marq Burnett covers the Crimson Tide for Saturday Down South.
